Comparison Guide

What's the best way to create a marketing plan?

Six options. Real trade-offs. Here's what each one actually delivers — and what it doesn't.

You need a marketing plan. You don't have $5K for an agency or 20 hours for DIY research. So what actually works?

We're obviously biased — we built Boost — but we'll tell you when the other options are better. (They sometimes are.)

DIY

CostFree + $200-400/mo tools
Time10-20 hours
ResearchManual
Ongoing$200-400/mo

ChatGPT

CostFree-$20/mo
Time1-2 hours
ResearchNone
Ongoing$0-20/mo

Agency

Cost$2,000-10,000+
Time2-4 weeks
ResearchComprehensive
Ongoing$500-2,000/mo

Enji

Cost$49/mo
Time2-3 hours
ResearchTemplates
Ongoing$49/mo

Clawdbot

CostFree + ~$30/mo APIs
TimeHours to days (setup)
ResearchDIY plugins
Ongoing~$30/mo

Boost

Cost$29 one-time
Time10 minutes
ResearchLive data
Ongoing$0

The bottom line

  • Zero budget, have time: DIY with free tools or ChatGPT for structure
  • Need a plan today, budget under $50: Boost. Real competitive research, 10 minutes, $29.
  • Technical and love tinkering: Clawdbot (OpenClaw) for a customizable AI assistant
  • Need ongoing execution help: Enji or a marketing platform
  • Five-figure budget, want full service: Agency for strategy and execution

Boost gives you the plan. You execute it. If you need someone to run your marketing for you, an agency is the better call. But if you know how to do the work and just need to know what work to do — that's what Boost is for.

Quick answers

Comparison FAQs.

It depends on your budget and time. If you have $5K+ and can wait weeks, an agency delivers the most comprehensive work. If you need a plan today for under $50, Boost provides agency-quality competitive research at a fraction of the cost. DIY is free but requires 10+ hours and expensive tool subscriptions. ChatGPT is fast but lacks real market data.

Ranges wildly. A DIY plan is 'free' but costs $200-400/month in tool subscriptions plus 10-20 hours of your time. An agency charges $2,000-10,000+ for a strategy project. Marketing platforms like Enji run $49/month. Boost is $29 one-time — you get the competitive research and plan without the ongoing cost.

SaaS founders, e-commerce store owners, consultants, coaches, agency owners, and niche businesses. We've run plans for everything from email productivity tools to artisan candle brands to equestrian product companies. If you have competitors, Boost can research them.

Ready to try it?

Get your marketing plan in 5 minutes

Live competitive research. 30-day roadmap. Channel-specific tactics. One-time $29. Full refund if it's not useful.